Former soccer coach pleads innocent to sex charge

A former soccer coach at Springfield High School pleaded innocent Tuesday to a felony charge of sexual exploitation of a minor after the Department of Education reported details of its own investigation to police.

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Published November 24, 2010 in the Times Argus         Former Springfield soccer coach pleads innocent to sex charge         By Cristina Kumka STAFF WRITER         SPRINGFIELD — A former soccer coach at Springfield High School pleaded innocent Tuesday to a felony charge of sexual exploitation of a minor after the Department of Education reported details of its own investigation to police.         Michael D. Sorrentino, 37, of San Francisco, Calif., answered to the charge in Windsor County criminal court after a department investigator told Springfield police this May that during an investigation of a possible teaching license violation involving Sorrentino, a 17-year-old student claimed she had sex with him.         The alleged incident took place in November of last year, according to court records released Tuesday.         If convicted, Sorrentino, a former resident of Springfield, could face up to five years in jail or a fine of up to $10,000 or both.         Six days after the Education Department’s call to police, the student and her parents were interviewed by Springfield police, at which time she told investigators Sorrentino offered to train her for the soccer team at the start of the 2009 school year. For two months, the two texted, talked, played basketball and hung out in the library every day, according to the girl.         Sorrentino wasn’t her teacher, but often helped her with her school work, the girl told police.         Then, according to the girl’s testimony as recorded by police, the talk turned sexual.         In October, after two separate visits to Sorrentino’s home where the two had kissed, the girl told police she had sex with Sorrentino, against her will.         The girl told police Sorrentino was drunk and she repeatedly asked him to stop.         The girl told police she did not want to have sex with Sorrentino “as she recalled having been in trouble in the past for engaging in sex,” according to court records.         In an interview with police later in June, the girl’s father told police he found suggestive text messages between Sorrentino and his daughter. The father said his daughter only told him the two had kissed.         The girl’s parents wrote a letter to the school.         In August, police met with Springfield Superintendent Frank Perotti Jr., and he handed over a copy of the family’s letter and a letter written by the principal of Springfield High School regarding his involvement in the case, according to police.         Police initially charged Sorrentino with an additional charge of aggravated sexual assault.         The Windsor County State’s Attorney’s office did not move forward with that charge.         State’s Attorney Robert Sand did not return a call for comment Tuesday.         By law, the Department of Education can not reveal how it was tipped off to such incidents.         Sorrentino surrendered his Vermont teaching license to the department earlier this month.         Also included in court documents were three letters — two from two of Sorrentino’s former students and one from a colleague — all in support of his character.         A status conference in the case is scheduled at 2 p.m. on Dec. 21.